Transcript

00:00:02

>> What do toxic tangerines have to do with politics? Taiwan's new independence-leaning president knows. Tsai Ing-wen has only been in office a week, but China's already giving her a rough time. Some of it coming across a little petty, like a warning in state media about Taiwanese citrus fruits apparently carrying quote, a harmful virus.

00:00:20

Other attacks are clearly more personal.>> I'm Anita Lee in Shanghai. President Tsai was criticized in Chinese state news earlier this week for being a single woman with no children. The writer blaming her, quote, extreme and emotional style of politics on her marital status. That column actually went down very poorly with many here in China, bloggers calling it a low blow.

00:00:43

>> That piece was taken down but others are taking its place. Like this one, accusing of making a fool of herself in front of the Americans. At a meeting with the US Commerce official in Taipei this week, she seemed to struggle with the Chinese version of his name.

00:01:00

>> That's right. I have problem of saying it in the Chinese language, I'm sorry.>> Somalia media using those to claim that Tsai struggles to speak the Chinese, her own mother tongue. But perhaps the week's strongest Taiwan comment came straight from Beijing.>> A top official warning Thursday that China's 1.3 billion people are quote united in their determination never to allow Taiwan to become independent.

00:01:25

A reminder of how China views its tiny island neighbor, a wayward province to be taken back by force if necessary.